It is well known that the age-associated elevation of blood pressure is promoted by sodium chloride loading and, therefore, cutting on the intake of sodium chloride is generally recommended. Moreover, for the prevention of hypertension and renal diseases arising from an excessive intake of sodium chloride, salt-reduced foods and functional dietary salts prepared by partial substitution of potassium for sodium have been developed. However, reducing the amount of sodium chloride results in flat tastes while the use of the potassium salt leads to prominence of the bitter taste characteristic of potassium chloride. Thus, in whichever of the cases, organoleptic drawbacks are inevitable. The eating habit of the Japanese is centered around the favor of saltiness but in order that one may lead a healthy dietary life, there must be available salt compositions capable of providing saltiness in degrees comparable to that of sodium chloride without affecting one's blood pressure. Here is the problem that must be solved.
Regarding the use of salts of organic acids in lieu of sodium chloride, there is a report on the use of citric acid (Japanese Kokai Tokkyo Koho H6-189709). It is claimed, there, that hypertension can be prevented or cured by substituting potassium chloride for part of sodium chloride and, for masking the bitterness of potassium chloride, adding a citrate, particularly tripotassium citrate. However, the saltiness attained is not quality-wise equivalent to that of sodium chloride.